Block-signal.



D. F. CRAWFORD.

BLOCK SIGNAL. l APPLlcAloN FILED Jun/29,1914. RENEWED MAR. 7.1917..

Patented Oct. 2, 1917.

.llllllllldlll fmmow Wl-TNESSES objects which may Vhe 5o rrnn srATS:

DAvi'Dr, oeawrortn, or rITrsBUBGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

BLOCK-sientan Specicaton of Letters Patent;-

viipplnntion 'nieu muy 2e, 1914, serial Bs'av'eo. Ren-coca 'nieren 7, ier?. 'scritti No. 153,170.

State VVof Pennsylvania, have `invented cereV tain new and useful Improvements in Block- Signals, 'of which the following is a specilication.

This'inventi'on relates to block signals for railway service wherein a series 'of sema-j` phores are stationed at intervals along the railway for the purpose of signaling to the trainmen.

My invention broadly contemplatesthe provision of improved means for identifying the various signals Valong' railways'so that lamps usedv for illuminating streets, crossings, etc., adjacent the railways will not be mistaken for clear signal lamps located in the semaphores, theclear signal in` the vsemaphore being caused to flicker or l wink at regular intervals.

The invention further contemplates the provision of a semaphore wherein the white or clear signal is the only light .which is interrupted vrat intervals while the danger or colored signals are caused to' be illuminated with a continuous light. With this arrangement should a colored signal lens become tiisiooigeiv or broken the iight 'which inn; minated the signal a clear signal but as the illumination is con tinu'ous` it indicates a danger signal regardless of itscolor for the reason -that the light iscontinuous and not flickering as it should he to indicate n clear track.

Among the more specific objects of vmy invention are the provision of improved means for controlling the lights of a series o f semaphore 'si als from va single'point; the provision of an electric current system whereby a single light in a semaphore may atuiiierent times be illuminated through a' plurality of currentV circuits 'and the pro-y vision of means for changing thecircuits actuated b'4k the movement of the semaphore arrn when'a signalis changed. 'l f The foregoing together .vvith such other einaiteril appear or are incidental to my invention, ineansoi a construction whichl have shown in the accoinpanyingv drawing, the 'figure being a diagrammatic elevation of a ci semaphorcs end the various electric circuits connecting' the laicos 'or the assume jthe" Aposition would appear white like t .i attain; ey-

ser'ies which the phores with the source of power, together with circuit breaker or interruptor and switches usedV in following 'out the purpose oi my invention. f t i In the figure, l, 2', Sand 4 vriesignate 'a series of semaphores and 5, 6,' 7 and 8 indi= cate Vtheir respectivey semaphore arms lor' bladeswhieh are pivoted at 9 to the upright standards io.- -One'end oi each bia-tie isoprovid'ed with a wingli in which is' mounted i APatenten oche, 191e;

at equal distance iront the pivot 9, a series indicating red, green and white ori clear. respectively. Y f fT-he lenses-'are so positionedon, the wing i1 that'they inny he brought to suoce'ssively aline with a'signal lamp 12 which is mount ed on the standard 10 Vin such mannerl 4that the light rays-from the lamp may be directed through the various :lenses as they are brought intoproper position. f

t The semaphore-arms'a're actuated to bring the different lenses, into valineinent with the lamp by the solenoids 10,`or some other iorin oi operating ineens and are caused to shown in sernaphores 1,2, and 3 by thel rod '10 connecting the solenoid with the semaphore Thei's'olenoi-ds `are energized from any suitable source Y ci colored signalllenses marked R,"G, andW u tends the length ofthe system and from which the branches 1y extend to the e'onrtacts 15 0n Vthe Switches 16 at, e'ah Serna# hore. A 'second' feed wire 17 (shown in dotted-lines) lending vircnnthe positive pole of the battery 13 also etends the length of the system and from which, branche'svl connected thereto lead to the contact's'lS on the svvitches 1e. rEach"lamp i2 is supplied withcurrent through the-leads 19 cor`1nect-- ing contacts 20 onthe` switches" 16 with the main 'negative returnfwi're 21. Y f

Feedfwi're 17l is provided with an interrunter '22 comprising a coininutator vring 2e havin-g suitable yinsulated gcontacts thereon' with which 'to make and break the circuitsn as fthe 'ringis rotated by the motor 24- to t wise' connected. li/loten 24 is 'supplied withl current irointhe battery-i3 through-wire c'ommutator is geared "or @theft and 26 secured to the binding posts 27 and 28 respectively and is maintained in continuous operation.

Switch 16 is provided with the switch bar 29 serving to connect contact 18 with contact 20 when the bar is in raised position as shown in semaphores 1 and 4, and contacts 15 and 20 are connected when the bar is in the lower position as shown in semaphores 2 and 3.

The switch bar 29 is operated by the movement of the semaphore arm by means of the connecting rod 30 which is pivoted to the arm at 31 and is so arranged that when the semaphore arm is down the switch bar 29 is in the raised position. The current from the battery will then pass through the following circuit 1-positive pole of battery 13, feed wire 17 (dotted line), interrupter 22, feed 17, branch 17 contact 18, switch bar 29, contact 20, line 19, through the lamp 12, line 19 negative return line 21 to negative pole of the battery. The dropped position of the semaphore arm as in semaphores l f' andr 4 indicates a clear block ahead and at this position ofthe arm a clear glass lens is alined with the lamp which is, at this time, receiving current through feed wire 17 having the interrupter disposed therein between l the battery and the lamp thus causing the lamp to flash light through the signal lens l/V at uniform intervals.

The purpose of causing the clear signal to be illuminated intermittently, as has previously been stated, is to identify the clear signal light from other white lamps adjacent the railway such as arc and gaslamps for illuminating streets, etc., and to identify ,the signals on the semaphore should the colored signals be dislodged or broken.

Vhen the semaphore arms are raised to the positions shown in semaphores 2 and 3 the switch bar 29 for each switch is pushed down out of engagement with contact18,

., and into engagement with contact 15 thereby connecting it with contact 20. At this time the green lens Gr in semaphore 2V and the red lens R in semaphore 3 are in alinement with their respective lamps, the green signal indicating that the train proceed with caution,.while the red signal indicates that the train must be stopped.

When the semaphore arms are in the positions sho-wn in semaphores 2 and 3 the current from the battery follows Vthe circuit leading from the positive pole of the battery through feed wire 14, branch wires 14 switch contacts 15, switch bars 29, contacts 20, wires 19, lamps12, wires 19 and through the main 'negative return wire 21 to the negative vpole' of the battery 13. Negative return wire 21 is common to both circuits aswell as the wire 19, and the switch 16 Serves lto connect the above wires with either the tfeed wire 14 through branches 14 or the feed wire 17 having the interrupter therein, through branches 17 The operation of the signal system for the semaphores is as follows :h

rlhe battery 13 supplies current to the motor 24 serving 'to operate it continuously to rotate the commutator 23 of the interrupter 22, thus causing the lamp 12 to emit periodical flashes of light when the clear signal in the semaphore arm is brought into alinement with the lamp. The period of interruption to the light is preferably adjusted at the commutator so that a light of a tenth second duration will flash every nine-tenths of a second causing the period of a liash and interval to consume one second of time.

When the semaphore arm is down as in semaphores 1 and 4 the rod 30 has pulled the switch bar 29 into engagement with contacts 18 and 20 causing current to pass from the battery through the circuit interrupter 22 to the lamp, thereby causingthe lamp to flash light at the intervals that the brushes 17 are in contact withy the lconnecting contacts ofthe commutator ring v23..

When the semaphore arm is raised to the green signal position as shown inthe semaphore 2, the rod 30 has pushed 'down the switch bar 29 thereby connectingcontact 15 with contact 20 and closing a circuit from the battery including feed wire 14 which has no interrupter in .connection therewith and consequently the lamp shines continuously when a green Vsignal lens is alined therewith. Raising the semaphore arm to the position shown in semaphore 3 wherein the red signal lens is alined with the lamp, does not alter the relation of the switch bar 29 with respect to the contacts 15 and 2O and therefore the lamp continues to burn steadily the lamp.

In showing a. series of semaphores having arms operating in the lower quadrant or below the horizontal position, I do not intend to limit my invention to such semaphores, as the features of my invention are applicable to various forms of semaphores and signaling apparatus. My invention inwhen the red signal is alined with cludes any form of semaphore in which one l f or more of the lamps or signals are caused to flicker or be intermittently illuminated so as to identify the signal from a signal inthe semaphorewhich yshines or is illuminated continuously. v

.It will be evident that there are a number 'of means whereby the lamps 0r signals may electric lamp', i al arm adapted to be illuminated by the electric lamp, means for moving the semaphore arm to bring the different signals into operative illuminated position, a source of electric current for the lamp, and means controlled bythe semaphore arm for intermittently interrupting the current to the lamp.

2. In a semaphore, an electric lamp, a semaphore arm, a plurality of signals carried by the said arm adapted to be illuminated by the electric lamp, means for moving the semaphore arm whereby the different signals are brought into operative illuminated position, a source lof current, a lamp circuit, an intermittent circuit interrupter in the lamp circuit between the current source and the lamp, and means whereby the actuation' of the semaphore arm to bring a signal into operative position disconnects the circuitv interrupter from the lamp circuit.

3. In a signal system, a series of semaphores, an electric main circuit comprising a current source, a positive `feed wire extending to the semaphores, a negative return wire extending to the semaphores, an auxiliary positive feed wire extending to the semaphores, a lamp circuit for each sema# phore having a lamp therein connected to the negative return wire, an intermittent circuit interrupter in the positive feed wire between the current source and the lamp circuits, la switch for connecting alternately the positive feed wire and the auxiliary feed Awire to the lamp circuit, a semaphore arm on each semaphore, signals carried on such arm adapted to be brought into operative illuminated position by the movement of the said arm operating means for lthe arm, and means whereby the operation of such means to cause a signal to be brought into operative position operates the switch to change the connection of the positive feeds with the lamp circuit. Y

4. A railway signal system comprising a plurality of signal stations each provided with electrically operated signals arranged at spaced intervals along the railway, a source of electrical power, two separate cir- Copies of this patent may be obtained for cuits connecting the power source with a signal of each signal station,v an intermittent Vcircuit interrupter in one of the circuits for interrupting the power -in that circuit whereby the signals are intermittently interrupted in their action synchronously with the interrupter,'when the signal is supplied with power through that circuit, and a switch connecting either circuit with kthe signals. Y

5. A railway signal system comprising a pluralityr of signal stations each provided with electrically operated signals arranged at spaced intervals along the railway, a-

leo

source of electrical power, two separate cir- 4cuits connecting the power source with a signal of each signal station, an intermittent circuit interrupter in one of the cirk kcuits for interrupting the power in that circuit whereby the` signals are intermittently interrupted in their action. synchronouslvA` with the interrupter, when the signalis supplied with power through that circuit, and a switch for each signal,'connecting either circuit with the signals.

6. A railway signal system comprising aplurality of electrically operated signals arranged at spaced intervals along the railway, an electric power circuit extending froml one end of thesystem to the other, a source of power connected with the circuit, connections from the signals connected with the power circuit so that the signals may be operated by currentv from the same power source, and an intermittent circuit interrupter in the power circuit for interrupting the power in the power circuit whereby the signals are intermittently interrupted in their action synchronously with the inter!v rupter. n

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of the two subscribed witnesses. 1

ve cents each,r by'addressing the Commissioner ofV Patents, Washington, D. C. 

